Getting Started
Quick List

Safety First
-
Evaluate the safety of hosting hivesLegality
- Comply with applicable laws in the area where you live.Location- Choose an accessible location.
- Choose a location with full sun.
- Choose a location with adequate protection.
- Avoid wet or windy sites.
- Face the hives south-east or toward the morning sun.
- Consider bee flight paths for people encounters.
- Consider bee flights for property damaged from cleansing flights.
- Low spots or hilltops are not recommended. Time Investment
- Figure about as much time as it would take to look after some outside cats.When is the right time to start?
- The beekeeping season begins in the late winter, early spring for new
beekeepers.How Many Hives to Start?
Two are recommendedEquipment
- Purchase beehive equipment locally or from bee suppliers (in most
cases assembly is
required)
- Minor carpentry needed
- Can buy pre-built.
- Need smoker, hive tool, and at minimum a veil but a bee suit or half
jacket is a good option
- Used equipment not recommended for novices
- Bear, critter fence, if you need it in your area.Learn Fundamentals
- Bee package install or starter hive (Nuc) install procedures.
- How to inspect
- Feeding and medicatingHoney Harvesting
- Maybe first year, it's an it depends thing.
- Second year, very likely.Final recommendations
- Consider a starter beekeeping course
- Join a beekeepers association
- Do some basic research on beekeeping.
- Take good notes.

Getting started in Beekeeping

There is no shortage of information for one who has an interest in becoming a beekeeper. We provide this guide as a quick list of actions that one should consider but it is by no means a comprehensive
all inclusive resource, just a place to get a start. While we
provide some structured guidance here, the first and most important
recommendation we can make is that you seek out your local beekeepers
association. Having access to a contingent of beekeepers is an
invaluable resource and will shortcut the learning curve ten fold.

Starting out as a beekeeper - Considerations

Safety First
As with any endeavor, safety is the first concern. As a beekeeper you
will get stung on occasion and there is a risk of allergic reaction.
This consideration may apply for family members, neighbors, and anyone
that will visit the property where the bees are housed. You must make
considerations for keeping bees in a place that is safe and not a
nuisance. There are ways to control bees to some extent but if you are
in a situation where there is any doubt about placement, consulting a
knowledgeable beekeeper should be the first logical step for guidance
combined with reviewing the “Guidelines
for Keeping Bees in Populated Areas” published by the New Jersey
Department of Agriculture, Division of Plant Industry. If your property
is not suitable, there may be options. Perhaps an arrangement with
another property owner in exchange for honey would allow you to keep
bees if your property is not suitable.

Legality
Different locations have different rules and laws concerning keeping
bees. State laws govern how you keep bees in New Jersey, i.e.,
inspections, registering, types of hive, etc., Municipal laws could
govern the keeping of bees and it is good idea for you and the
beekeeping society in general to ensure that you comply with all
applicable regulations, ordinances, laws, etc. The State of New Jersey
Department of Agriculture has a link to the
New Jersey Statutes at their
website. These statutes govern how bees are to be kept in the state.
Whether or not they can be kept in your town depends not only on
municipal statutes, but can hinge on the attitude of your local
officials, your relationship with them and your relationship with your
neighbors. On a local level, there are 565municipalities in New Jersey,
and only Alpine and Closter and Wood-Ridge in Bergen County and
Fairhaven in Monmouth County expressly prohibit beekeeping. Allendale in Bergen County
requires a permit. It should be kept in mind before going to your town
and asking permission to keep bees that while towns may not expressly
prohibit beekeeping, most have public nuisance or health nuisance
statutes on their books, which can be interpreted by overly zealous
officials to include our state insect, the honeybee. This happened to an
aspiring beekeeper in an Essex County town. If you have a good
relationship with your neighbors and can locate hives on your property
such that it complies with the state “Guidelines
for Keeping Bees in Populated Areas” and
register those hives that overwinter in New Jersey, you should be in
good shape.

Location
The location in which you place your equipment is important for the
survival of the bees:
- Locations should have proper protection from the elements, be near a
water and food source, and in a location that provides proper protection
from the elements. A variety of plants in vicinity of the apiary
is desirable as it provides the best chance for nectar stores and pollen
throughout the active seasons.
- Most beekeepers recommend full sun. Shade can sometimes foster
pests such as small hive beetles, ants, and wax moths. Typically hives
do best facing in a south-easterly direction or toward the morning sun.
This warms up the hive and gets the bees active. It also dries out
the hive from morning dew and moisture.
- Sites should be level if possible and low areas or hilltops
should be avoided to stay away from moisture or wind problems.
Protection from wind, especially in winter is advisable. Wind
breaks can be erected from hay bales or even planting some shrubs or
small trees.
- Hives
should be placed where you have easy access to them and where you can
get in to do whatever you need; be it by hand truck, wheelbarrow,
truck, lawn tractor, etc - note that a box full of honey can weigh 100
pounds!
- Bees will fly from the hive on 'cleansing flights' and surfaces under
the flight path can be stained or damaged with spots as a result.
Hives should placed where bees are not flying over cars or other items
that could be damaged. You also do not want the bees to be flying
over sidewalks, walking paths, or any places were pedestrians are
possible. One could erect a fence which will cause the bees to go
up and over a sensitive area and not through it, again, consultation with an experienced
beekeeper is probably a good recommendation here.

How Much Time?Taking care of bees is an all or nothing consideration.
If you don't take care of them it is possible that they will not survive
and you will lose your investment. While one might not consider
bees as 'pets' a similar approach to keeping them can be considered.
You will have to inspect your bees for health, you may have to feed and
medicate them. You will have to do some hive maintenance, spring,
summer, and fall management.

So how much time? The general rule of thumb is that it takes
about as much time to care for bees as it does for say chickens or
outdoor cats,
but less then it takes to take care of a dog. The difference is a
dog needs attention every day - several times a day. Chickens and
cats (outside ones) can be looked over several times a week.
Another analogy is keeping bees is like keeping a garden, general upkeep
and looking after is required but if you miss a day or two or three,
it's not going to be terrible. It can't be weeks at a time though
:-).

When is the right time to begin beekeeping?
Beekeeping is typically follows a spring to late fall calendar.
Beekeepers ramp up for season activities in the Northeast around
February and March and should be full ready to go when the first
dandelions appear in the yard. That means when starting out, the
best time of year to get engaged is in January or February. The
general rule of thumb is that you'll start your hives in the spring so
they can flourish though the spring nectar flow and be strong enough
come summer end to over winter. As a new beekeeper that means
you'll want to get your order for bees in early (see the section below
on obtaining bees).

How many hives should you start with?
Most experienced beekeepers will tell you to start with two hives.
Having two gives you twice the learning curve and allows you to contrast
one hive against the others so you can judge how they are doing.
This becomes valuable when you're starting out and you're not sure if
one hive is doing what it is supposed to. Typically with two hives
one will operate normally (hopefully they both do!) and give you a good
point of reference in case one is not doing well. With one, you
just don't have that point of reference. In addition a common
tactic for novices is to be more 'intrusive' and do more inspections on
one hive while leaving the other to thrive on it's own. Over time
the inspections and intrusions can be less with experience and then
you'll have two thriving hives to produce honey.

Is Beekeeping an Expensive Hobby?
No! A complete hive with the necessary tools and equipment, including
bees, will cost about $250. Compared to the startup costs of other
pastimes, beekeeping is a relatively inexpensive hobby.

Hive EquipmentGetting your first hive can be as simple or complex as you want
it to be. Several well known vendors such as Dadant, Mann Lake,
Brushy Mountain, and Betterbee among others offer hive equipment for sale. There are also
local sellers in and around New Jersey that are well worth a look.
Typically new beekeepers purchase hives that have to be assembled and
painted but one can buy hives that are all ready to go. Beekeeping
suppliers will also offer pre-packaged 'beginners kits'. The kits
range from well packaged to including things that you just don't need.
If it has numerous things that you just don't know what they're for you
can probably save money by doing some research into each component and
tailoring your selections wisely.

Also
typical is the use of the Langstroth hive design in the United States or
what you probably know of as a common beehive - there are other forms of
beehives available: Top Bar, National, etc. but the recommendation is
that you want a Langstroth
hive configuration.

Hive building packages come with instructions on how to build and mostly entail
hammering nails and painting. A square, tape measure, and a few
other basic tools are probably called for but most can meet the
challenge with little difficulty. It's a good project to get some
friends involved!

In addition to hive equipment you'll need a veil, a smoker, and a
hive tool. Instead of a veil, one might consider a bee suit or
half jacket. These are a little more expensive but you'll have it for a long
time. A veil will work with a long sleeve heavy shirt and long
pants. Over time many beekeepers even forgo the heavy clothing but
we encourage you to wear a veil always. Incidentally, many novice
beekeepers do prefer a suit as it offers more protection and therefore
more comfort. They are somewhat costly as noted earlier but if you
feel that you need more 'insurance' from a bee sting then a bee suit might be an option
for you.

A quick word about consideration of purchasing used equipment. This
can be an acceptable way to get started but it can also be troublesome. Bees are susceptible to
different maladies when living in a hive and when you purchased used
equipment, you can't be sure that it isn't
contaminated or problematic. If you do have your eye on used
equipment its probably best to get a second opinion from a knowledgeable
beekeeper before you make the sale.

There are other things that one could purchase to get started and the
beekeeping catalogs are tempting. Start with the basics and build
from there. Incidentally, if you live in an area that has pests
(Bears, skunks, etc.) you might considering adding an electric fence to
your initial package.

Getting Bees
Bees can be obtained in a few different ways. Ordering packages, a
Nuc (a pre-arranged small beehive with frames that you transfer into
your hive box), or even someone
capturing a swarm of wild bees (referred to as feral bees in beekeeping
circles). A package
of bees is just that, a box of bees packaged and shipped through the
mail to you. They come in a box with wire sides and when you
receive them you paramount to dump them into your hive box to get
started. With a Nuc you'll bring your hive box to a
beekeeping supplier and they'll transfer 4 to 6 frames of honey bees
into your hive box and you'll go home with them. If you lucky,
sometimes they even bring them to you!

When obtaining bees, there are some fundamental questions. One
of the primary bees is what kind? Many beekeepers choose "Italian" bees.
These are a strain bees from Italian origin that were brought to the US
and are in widespread use because of their beneficial behaviors and gentleness.
In addition there are other types such as Carniolian Bees, Russian Bees,
and more.
Different types are said to have or be bread for different
characteristics - good grooming, gentleness, tendency to stay within one
hive and not steal from others, better weather adaptability and so on.
Whatever bee you type you might choose, we suggest that you review the
suppliers certified by the NJ State Apiarist to be free from disease
when considering a purchase. The link to the list can be found
here. If you choose to purchase your bees outside of NJ we
will suggest what we've been professing throughout this guide and
encourage you to seek counsel from an experienced beekeeper.

Incidentally, New Jersey Laws require that all Bee Yards in New Jersey where bees
are overwintering be registered annually with the New Jersey Department
of Agriculture. To obtain a form for registration click
here.

It is advisable that you review the information for beekeeping in the
state provided by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. The
information is available at their website via this
link.

The million dollar question - When can you expect to get
honey?
Getting honey is an 'it depends' proposition. The
objective and success benchmark for the first year beekeeper is to get
each hive sufficiently established to overwinter and be a healthy
productive colony. The reward is the honey you'll get to harvest
at the end of the season if all goes well. Fortunate as that would be, most times you can count on a honey crop for
the next spring if it doesn't pan out in the first year. There's a caveat to this, if in the first year
you don't look after the bees, they might not survive the winter and
then you'll have to start over in the spring. Truth be told,
many
beekeepers get a handful of jars in the first year and do just fine at
taking care of the bees if they're even moderately active in upkeep.

Final recommendationsThis primer is just a quick run through of considerations.
There are facets like how to do an inspection, what medications are
needed?, will my bees get CCD?, that are beyond a beginners guide and so that is not covered here.
Those topics and many more will require some additional education or
book learning.

There are beekeeping courses that operate in the state, and there are
numerous books, magazines (Bee Culture and American Bee Journal are two
popular ones), podcasts, blogs and more on the topic.
We recommend that you consider taking a beginners beekeeping course or
at minimum picking up some books that explain some core and common tasks
that are the essence of beekeeping.

If it hasn't been made quite evident yet, the best bet is to seek out
experienced council through a beekeepers association or organization.
To do that for the state of New Jersey, click on the Membership link on
the menu of this page or
visit the New Jersey Beekeeper's association
webpage.
Incidentally, if you're not from New Jersey, you can still go to the
NJBA website for information. On the NBJA
links page
they have a listing of beekeepers associations for many states in the
US.

Our guide is summary level for those who want an modest preview of
how to get started. There are other guides that go into more
detail and if you're one of those that craves more detail we suggest you
preview the (MAAREC)Mid-Atlantic Apiculture Research and Extension
Consortium's getting started guide. It can be found
here.

One final recommendation. MAAREC has a free Beekeeping Basics
document that is comprehensive and well written for the novice
beekeeper. This document is available at the PennState College of
Agricultural Sciences website at this
link.
Highly recommended.